All three vessels shuddered as they emerged from the jumphole into the Omicron Delta system. Behind each, a taught tow cable extended back through the event horizon. A short moment later, their precious cargo followed them out of the aperture, into the nebula.
"Tow cables remain secure. Connection intact"barked one of the pilots.
The three Titans powered up engines and laid course for the co-ordinates they'd been given. In tow the smouldering wreckage of a gutted Legionnaire bumped it's way through the nebula, an empty shell with all it's technology removed. Their target location, they knew, was situated along a well known CORE patrol path.
"Disengage the clamps, and activate the beacon"the leader barked again.
All three tow-lines released, and the smoking and contorted hull of the Legionnaire was set adrift, ready to cross the path of the next patrol of hunters.
Attached to the hull was strapped a multiplexing distress beacon, recovered from a BHG barracuda that had had the misfortune of crossing a Corsair raiding party in Omega-3. Reprogrammed by Corsair technicians, the beacon was sure to attract the attention of the hunters. The Corsair Elders who were behind this plan were sure the CORE would take the bait.
They would find the ship, recover it, and find a hand-written message taped to the command console in the cockpit, from the Corsair Council of Elders themselves.
The three Titans quickly set course for Yaren and vacated the scene, but not before a Hunter patrol briefly appeared, then disappeared from scanner range.
<div align="right][color=white]Post by Carlos Benitez
Corsair LawsCorsair Court Our forces combined, no-one shall stand before us. Our enemies shall be burnt and cast to the wind, our troops marching forward over their mangled corpses. True we stand alone, with wolves circling, but our isolation lends us our strength, for we are one and they are divided.
The days of Darkness are no longer, for we are the Corsairs and we are fear incarnate! Viva los Corsairs, the Empire shall rise!
The blood of the Hispania runs in our veins. The blood of our enemies shall wet our hands.
Normally the chatter on the neural net from her escorting pilots helped to comfort Abigail Hearns. She was still nervous, flying this test bed Manta. Who better, though, than the daughter of the CEO of AP Manufacturing to fly in combat the first Manta fighter to be equipped with reverse engineered Nomad technology? But this time, her comfort ended rather abruptly with a call from a nearby Thresher patrol.
" Tango Two Six, this is Delta One Four, we have something odd on our scanners, over."
"Delta One Four, this is Tango Two Six, define odd, please, over."
"Six, we're picking up a distress beacon ahead - but it's not coming from one of our hulls, over."
"Roger, that, Four. Enroute now to investigate. Out. Break. Tango Two Six to all Tango units, converge on location Delta One Four now. Full cruise authorized. Out. "
The double clicks over her net feed told her that her pilots had heard her orders and would comply. She felt the acceleration from her cruise engine pushing her back into her seat. A short time later, a Corsair Legionaire showed up on her screens. The ship appeared to be completely dead and empty, with no life signs on her scanners. But the signal filling one of her comm channels - the emergency distress beacon from a hunter pilot - WAS coming from that ship.
"Delta One Four, provide cover. I'm going EVA. All units, stand by."
"Four Actual, Abbie, are you nuts? "
"Just fly my pretty girl there, Jimmy. I'm still your CO, even over here."
"For the record, I don't like it. Out. "
Abigail smiled. Her XO on the Pallas.Athene wasn't a happy camper, but he did follow orders. She quickly depressurized her cockpit and slipped out the side hatch. The light from the suns in this system didn't help much at this distance. The shadows they cast made the hulk she was approaching seem more menacing than usual. Her suit lights quickly showed that the hulk was uninhabitable - the cockpit was open to space. Convenient, that provided as easy entry point for her.
She glided through the opening, and looked down at the control panel below her. There was one green light blinking on the console. That was the power feed for the distress beacon. She reached over to turn it off - and froze. There was something reflecting the light next to it. Using her suit jets, she quickly spun herself around, so she could read it.
"Oh my Gods...."
(11-21-2013, 12:53 PM)Jihadjoe Wrote: Oh god... The end of days... Agmen agreed with me.
Masters of the Guild Core,
Despite decades of ill-will between us, the Council of Elders has come to the conclusion that, in the interest of continued stability in the edge nebula, a dialogue between the leaders of our Empire and representatives of your organisation should be opened. My colleagues believe that, despite our marked distaste for one-another, the Core should be informed or recent events and shifts in the status quo, with the purpose of ensuring activities of our patrols and fleets are adjusted accordingly for mutual benefit.
To that end, the esteemed members of the Council of Elders invite representatives of the Guild Core to a private deep-space meeting in the Omicron Delta system, at co-ordinates programmed into the navigational computer of this vessel, at precisely 11pm SMT / UTC on the 20th. The good will of this meeting is guaranteed as a matter of Corsair Honour, and thus is beyond doubt.
Despite this, many of my colleagues believe that the masters of the Guild Core are too cowardly to face us in person. Nevertheless, the offer stands. If the Core find the fortitude to face us, feel welcome to bring whatever protection you feel necessary. Rest assured that we shall do the same.
Atentemente,
The young pilot plugged her data-pad into the gutted Legonnaire's nav computer, and a detailed map appeared on it's screen.
Co-ordinates: 6/7 G/H Omicron Delta System (0m vertical axis...beneath the cloud)
She glanced at her watch...one hour until the meeting. Tapping her comm badge, she cleared her throat "Delta One-Four, put me through to Core Command...maximum priority...."
(11-21-2013, 12:53 PM)Jihadjoe Wrote: Oh god... The end of days... Agmen agreed with me.
--- summary based on in-game RP event & in-game RP dialogue ----
Carlos headed to the landing pad and greeted the crew of the Aegis. Normally, he would have used his private gunboat Tartarus for this important mission, but the Aegis was more heavily armoured; a feature that might become all too necessary if tonight didn't go as planned.
Engines powered up, the ship left the atmosphere, and before long it had reached the Omicron Delta system. The co-ordinates of the meeting place had been programmed in. Carlos knew he was an hour early, but also knew this time would be essential for co-coordinating his backup plan.
Operatives of the familia had been notified, both on Crete and at Yaren, and so too had the Brotherhood, the Sails, and the most trusted of independents.
As the hour dragged on, the fleet began to assemble. Light and Heavy fighters of both the Brotherhood and the Benitez familia assembled around the Aegis. Not far away, a Brotherhood Cruiser loomed, surrounded by a fleet of bombers. Then, through the dense cloud ahead, a Black Dragon appeared from the haze.
[color=darkseagreen]"Good to see you, Elder Montoya" laughed Carlos. "Hola Carlos. Elder Espi is close behind, along with Carson Hawking" "I still think this is a very bad idea..." Carson, the newest Brotherhood Elder, remarked grimly.
As time for the event approached, Carlos prepared to give the order to split the fleet. If too many ships remained at the meeting place, the Hunters would no-doubt think it was a trap...too little, and those that remained were at risk of being taken as easy prey.
"Selena, Montoya, Espi...you're with me"Carlos announced. "Everyone else, form with the Cruiser, and head to just outside scanner range. We'll need you if things turn ugly".
With no idea what to expect from the Hunters, if they turned up at all, all they could do was wait. Montoya's Black Dragon, Selena's Decurion, and Espi's Titan sat close to the Aegis Gunboat, as three BHG Core ships appeared on scanners.
As the ships came closer, Carlos raised his hand, signalling the comm officer. She glanced at the display screen, and then spoke into her mouthpiece, as the gunboat fell beneath the shadow of two much larger vessels.
"Reserve fleet, a Hunter Battleship, Battlecruiser and Fighter have arrived. They appear to be taking a non-agressive stance. The Don requests all ships remain on high alert."
From the beginning, Juan had decided he would take a backseat in the negotiations. Carlos had volunteered for the job, and he knew that his own temperament wasn't quite suited to careful diplomacy. Besides, he had work to do, having once again taken the reins of the Brotherhood, this time from Miguel.
He greeted Carlos as the Corsair task force started to form, and swiftly adjusted his position besides the Aegis, one of the shining examples of Corsair technological advancement in recent years. Opening up his notepad, Juan made to continue his assigned duties whilst he waited. However, a scant five minutes after the Corsair task force had disappeared from scanner range, the Guild Core appeared. Only three ships, and no reinforcements in sight. It was only fair to assume that they had done the same, and kept a large reserve just in case things turned out to be hostile.
Closing up with the Aegis, Juan relaxed slightly when Carlos and DeVirgo exchanged greetings. It was going to be a long talk, one most thought would never have taken place. For sure, some did not agree. Elder Hawking for example, had voiced his huge distrust for the Bounty Hunters. It was made clear that this was a strategic move, and though he conceded that point, he still retained a huge amount of distrust... as all Corsairs did... for associates of the Guild...
The Mako battleship smoothly slid into the dock at Dabadoru. Max DeVirgo slowly got up from his chair on the bridge, still thinking about the conversation he had just had - as well as the dinner companions he'd just left.
DeVirgo had opened the conversation. "I believe that you requested this meeting earlier?"
"Hola, representatives of the Core...This is Commandante Don Carlos Benitez, in command of the Benitez Gunboat Aegis. I issued the summons." "Espingarda, leader of Black Sails." "Juan.Montoya - Yes, yes we did."
In his mind, Max thought, "Summons? I don't think so..." What he said was, "Guildmaster Max DeVirgo, Core Guildmaster, answering your request for a meeting."
Carlos said, "Frankly senors, we're surprised...we were sure you'd think this was a trap...and not show up. And we felt sure that a larger ship would startle your men so much you'd turn tail at first scan!"
Max laughed. His opponent had underestimated him. "To be quite honest, you pledged your honor, so having a Legate as your negotiating ship would not have upset me in the least. In fact, we did actually, as a gesture of good faith, bring these crewmen of yours to return them to you."
Carlos sounded stunned. "Appreciated...but that's not what we're here to discuss."
The commander of the |Core escorting cruiser spoke up,"Guess I just have to "repatriate" them at the Zoners Human Organs Harvesting facility in Omicron 74 then. Mea culpa."
Quite irritated, Montoya snapped, "We can both play the hardman card and it will end in a big bloodbath."
Max snapped at his comm officer, "Send a private message to the Gold to quit teasing them." The pilots were quickly repatriated without further issue, and after several minutes, the conversation continued.
"Now...to business. Will the representatives of the Core admit that their primary objective or recent years has been the elimination of the sizable ORDER presence in this sector?", Benitez said. Then Espingarda chuckled and said, "Indeed. I believe we have issues to discuss, concerning our new Order relations."
DeVirgo replied, "You are very close to our purpose, of course. We do not actually desire the elimination of the Order - they do have a useful purpose. Our goal is the acquisition of Nomad technology for the good of all mankind, which the Order has held in close bond. If they must be eliminated to achieve that goal, then so be it."
Carlos decided that it was time to put their cards on the table. "Well, senors...this is what we are here to discuss. They stand in your way....and for years, we have stood at their side. It may or may not suprise you to hear that times are changing...faster than generations of our people have seen. Once, we would have stood steadfast between you and your Order prey...Today, elimination of the Order is not a prospect that we lose sleep over."
(11-21-2013, 12:53 PM)Jihadjoe Wrote: Oh god... The end of days... Agmen agreed with me.
Carlos sighed as he spoke words he never thought he'd hear himself say; that the empire no longer cared about the fate of the Order, who had been, for so long, under their protection.
"Are the cannibals suggesting an alliance with the Guild!?"laughed one of the Hunters.
Though separated by thick armoured hulls and 500 meters of empty space, Carlos sensed, at that moment, that his companions had all reached for their weapon-triggers.
"Nothing of the sort, and we find use of such terms highly offensive to our race.Carlos snapped.
"We invited you here on reasonably respectful grounds, we expect the same in return."
Carlos was not prepared to endure such insults to the Empire or it's people, and no pact or treaty was worth the indignity of letting the honour of the Cretian People be defamed. To his left, Carlos noticed his tactical officer powering up the targeting computer.
"Miller, shut up." barked DeVirgo. "Unfortunately some of us seem to have spent too long on the front lines. Miller is an accomplished fighter, but no diplomat." "Clearly" muttered Carlos. "Rest assured that your pilot's distaste for us is mutual, and procludes any such alliance. The People of Crete would never accept any such arrangement with the Guild, as things stand. The Council cannot expect the families of victims of our battles to simply forget who is responsible." "Aside, we've never considered the Corsairs an enemy of the BHG-Core worth concentrating on.worth concerntrating on? These hunters missed no opportunity to add their thinly veiled insults. Much as Carlos hated to hear the Empire belittled so, he chose not to rise to the bait. "Honsetly, we've fought you because you're allied to our enemy." "Well, it would seem self-evident that the Corsair Empire is no longer interested in wasting resources defending the wretched Order from you."Carlos announced. "Wasting resources?"mocked the Hunter. "Clearly our efforts against you have been more successful than we had imagined. After all, it was you who called this meeting" "The Corsairs do not fear you. Far from it. We merely wish to redistribute our efforts towards our other conflicts." "Other conflicts?"the hunter questioned. It was clear that now, he was mocking the empire, and Carlos was growing tired of his games. "You know well that we face many worse threats than the nuisance your men cause. The details are none of your concern, and most are waged far away from here." "Lets get to the meat of the discussion then, what exactly do you want?" "Given that we no longer intend to stand between you and the Order, we expect our good faith be reciprocated" "We'll start by handing over these captured Corsair pilots."muttered the Battlecruiser captain. No doubt they'll be eager to return home."
Carlos was overwhelmingly relieved to see the 400-strong troop of captured pilots return to friendly ships. He'd been resisting the urge to demand the hand-over up front, but knew that if he did so too soon, it could undermine the negotiations. Now, that was no-longer a worry. Accepting as many as his ship could hold, he signalled the reserve fleet to move in.
"I've instructed all nearby patrols to converge on this location, to collect the pilots and get them back to their families. Dont be alarmed."
As he spoke, the fleet of Corsair ships reappeared, and swarmed around the Aegis, beaming in the remainder of the passengers. The Hunters, he knew, had no idea such a force was waiting just outside of sensor range, and Carlos had convinced them that this huge presence assembling in minutes had been merely a routine Corsair presence in the region. He could sense that, for the first time since their arrival, the Bounty Hunter Core were intimidated, and were about to take these negotiations much more seriously.
Carlos continued: "Anyway...as I said, we have no interest in continuing to defend the Order from you....this should be music to your ears..."
DeVirgo opened the communications channel to the Corsairs again. "There is, actually, another possible threat that we wish to concentrate on that should be music to YOUR ears."
Irritated, Espingarda said, "Now now ... surely you must admit the Corsairs were not a mere nuisance for you."
"No, you are not mere at all. But you do not worship the Nomads, either. There are those in Sirius that do." Miller chimed in, "For the Ccore, the Corsairs are just a minor nuisance. Our only reason to decimate your forces regularly, is to prevent the Order getting supplies and reeinforcements."
All three Corsair leaders spoke at once, with Montoya snapping, "Attempt to decimate, you mean ...", Benitez saying, "Rumors...whispers...nothing concrete.", and Montoya saying, "We've heard."
Miller replied once more, "Appearently we are successfull. YOU asked for this meeting. Not us."
Montoya slowly replied, "We asked for this meeting for our own reasons..."
"Quite frankly, by not having to concentrate or concern ourselves as much with you will allow us to help work on them more and they are YOUR enemy....Nothing says that we cannot both have reasons for wanting this meeting." DeVirgo continued.
Benitez bit his lip in anger. "The Core are no doubt well aware of the conflicts we must deal ]with. These are not your concern...and most are waged far away from here." Espingarda continued, "We fight several wars at once, senors. Read your history books. The Outcasts and the Hessians. And Rheinland, and the Coalition, and the Gas miners ... Should I go on?"
Finally bored with this show, Max bluntly stated, "I think that it is time that we show our cards, then, and get to the meat of this discussion. Enough bushes have been beat around, and enough testosterone has been displayed...Are you specifically proposing a non-agression agreement between the |Core and the Corsair nation, for that is what it sounds like to me."
Startled by the abruptness, Carlos said, "Given that we no longer take interest in standing between you and the Order....we expect our good faith to be reciprocated. At minimum, we expect that the sovereignty and safety of our core territory, and homeworld be respected."
DeVirgo quickly said, "The |Core would no longer enter Omicron Gamma."
From over the com channel, a new voice, dripping with venom said, "So they played civil did they?"
Ignoring the new voice, DeVirgo continued in a reasonable tone, "We shall issue orders, then, that all members of the Guild, including the BHG|, shall leave Omicron Gamma alone, and that we shall not bother your men in Omega 41, either."
Carson Hawking glared out his window at Carlos. "I still can't believe you're negotiating with these...fiends...senor Carlos. I may not approve of the Order's movements, senor, but that isn't a justification for this in my opinion."
Mirroring DeVirgo and Miller earlier, Carlos commanded, "Hawking...hold your tongue..."
On a secure channel, Max overheard his escorting fighter pilot, Clive Hunt, agree. "Seems Miller isn't the only bad diplomat, ehh"
Unperturbed, DeVirgo continued as if Hawking had not said anything. "However, our regular pilots do have contracts to protect against acts of .... charitable contribution requests ... in Omega 3 and 7 and of course, in Bretonian space."
(11-21-2013, 12:53 PM)Jihadjoe Wrote: Oh god... The end of days... Agmen agreed with me.
Carlos was, at once, both suprised, excited and very anxious. The Hunters were offering far more than Carlos had anticipated, and yet, just as he was about to seal possibly the most miraculous diplomatic deal in Corsair history, Elder Carson Hawking had arrived, and Carlos now knew the negotiations rested once again on a knife-edge.
"It would be unrealistic to expect Bretonian and Rhineland-based Hunters to resist the bounties on our pilot's heads in those systems" muttered Carlos"but as for the Edge-Worlds, where the BHG have no mandate against us, we expect the Hunters not to interfere in our activities" "And the Corsairs would do the same?"questioned DeVirgo. Another raised his voice. "Carlos, you can't offer that." interjected Carson Hawking."Do you seriously believe the warriors of Etna or Cadiz, or even the people of Crete will accept that after generations of murdering our families in cold blood, that we are to just let them fly by?"
Carlos was worried. Though he didn't agree with Carson's point of view, he knew his point was valid. This would be tough to sell to the people. He ignored him, and continued.
"The Benitez, Brotherhood and Sails would co-operate, and would do what they can to keep the others in line. No doubt there will be incidents along the way. Can you seriously guarantee that individual Bounty Hunters will abide by such a pact?"
Carlos knew the answer. Though the Corsair Empire was, at times, a chaotic place, he knew that outside the Core, the BHG were a loose organisation, and that new guidlines might be overlooked.
"Possibly not"replied DeVirgo."It seems we should agree to reserve the right to fire in self defence then, without voiding this agreement." "Agreed"Carlos replied."In the Omicrons and Omega-41 then, Hunters and Corsairs will stay out of each-others' way." "And Hunters will stay out of Omicron Gamma"Montoya added"Or be shot down." "We'd expect nothing less, Corsairs" replied DeVirgo. "And in exchange, the Corsairs will cease all assistance rendered to the Order
Little did the Hunter realise, Carlos thought, but such assistance had already ceased. The Corsairs were in-fact sacrificing nothing. Once again, the voice of Carson Hawking cut through the atmosphere of co-operation.
"Carlos, you have no authority to agree to this. The Council will not accept it. The people will not accept it."
Carlos grimaced. He regretted allowing Hawking near these negotiations, and recalled why he had requested he be part of the backup fleet, rather than the negotiating team. Resisting the urge to unleash his frustration at the newly appointed Elder, and risk giving the impression to the Hunters that the Corsairs were weak and divided, he swallowed his fury, and replied as calmly as he was able.
"Carson, I have the authority to negotiate on the Council's behalf, in order to put together a complete proposal to present to the Council of Elders for them to vote on." "This proposal is unacceptable." "A view you're welcome to share when this is discussed in the Council."snapped Carlos. "Until then, I suggest we call this meeting to a close, and agree to a meeting at a later date, at neutral territory such as a freeport, where the fine details of this agreement can be discussed, and a pact may or may not be signed." "Freeport 11 has appropriate facilities for such talks. We can head there now." replied DeVirgo.
Carlos paused. He had hoped there might be weeks, or months, before the discussions continued. Time to gain the backing of the council, and the people of Crete at large. However, he knew refusal to attend could scupper the negotiations, possibly for good. Reluctantly, he agreed.
As the meeting ended, Carlos sat back in the captain's chair on-board the Aegis, and watched the bizarre sight, as tentatively a number of Corsair ships, including his own, took positions around two Bounty Hunter warships, and headed for Freeport 11.